EVA Team
by HolyDragoon
Summary: When Shinji, Mana, Kensuke and Mayumi are transported to a strange new world by an Angel attack, a new story begins. Will they survive? Will they return? Rated T for precaution, may go up. Discontinued, up for Adoption
1. How did we end here? Part 1

**Disclaimer: Any characters and places belonging to the Neon Genesis Evangelion universe are propriety of the respective creator/brand. This story only serves entertainment purposes.  
**

**Kain, Frayja, Mike, and everything form the new universe was created by me (unless I make any reference otherwise).**

* * *

A young boy was lying on a bed, staring at the ceiling with his storm blue eyes. His expression, while peaceful, also was fairly puzzled. There was so much to understand since he arrived here literally out of thin air…

The door of his room opened, and he looked to the door with his eyes half-open, while his eyes adapted to the sudden light. A girl with long black hair and round glasses was at the door, looking uneasy, like she couldn't keep up to the pace of the world.

_"Shinji, can I stay with you for a while? I can't sleep tonight…"_ she asked, her eyes showing her troubled mind.

The boy blushed. Things like that always embarrassed him, no matter how innocent the intentions were. _"Oh? Sure, you can stay, what's happening?"_ he finally managed to answer, getting up to a sitting position.

The girl entered the room and closed the door, before sitting at his side. _"It's… I still can't understand what happened… one moment we were in Tokyo-3, with that Angel coming… and suddenly we were in a completely different place…"_ She grabbed her legs with her hands and rested her head in the forearms. _"… It looks like a dream, but dangerously close to a nightmare."_

Shinji knew what she meant. Moments after they arrived they were attacked, only to be rescued by a team of soldiers. _"Yeah… we were very lucky… I was thinking about that too. I still don't understand why Morgan-san believed in our story… it sounds so incredible…"_

Mayumi was silent for some moments. _"… maybe that's because he saw so much already that inter-dimensional travelling sounds normal to him… let's face it, it isn't every day that you hear a story like his… Ragnarok, his struggle, the Prime Demon… it seems that it came out of a fairy tale, or the oldest legends, yet we saw it with our own eyes…"_ her thoughts went to the day they arrived there.

_-Travel to the past…-_

It was a normal day in Tokyo-3. Shinji, Mayumi, Kensuke, Rei and Mana were having lunch under an oak tree in school.

_"Eh, Sensei was pretty lively today, don't you agree?"_ Kensuke asked. The subject today was the space and the black holes. Their teacher, usually monotonous, talked about space with passion. His students didn't know he was an amateur astronomer in the years before Second Impact.

_"Yes, Sensei was very passionate in his class today. It was very strange to see him behaving like that,"_ the blue haired girl, Rei, replied.

Shinji was looking to his bento box, thinking. The wormhole theory about alternate universes sparked his attention. How would it be, a universe without Angels?

He was pulled out of his quasi-meditation with the sound of Asuka's voice.

_"Hey, baka Shinji, I'm going with Hikari to the mall after school, don't wait for me."_ She said, before going for a table where Hikari already expected her.

Shinji sighed in relief. A walk back home without her antics was truly a godsend.

_"Shinji, please tell Sensei I will not be able to come to the class this afternoon,"_ Rei told, closing her bento box.

Shinji nodded. _"Sure, I'll give him the message. Good luck with the medical tests."_

Rei nodded. _"Thank you. See you Monday, everyone."_

_"Have a nice weekend,"_ the four remaining teens replied.

After the afternoon class, the four teens were at the school gates, before a very familiar alarm pierced the air.

_"Angels,"_ Shinji muttered. Thanks to them, he couldn't live a normal teen life. He held back his desire to begin one of the rants he went into when he was alone.

Suddenly, the Angel appeared out of nowhere and shot a black ball of energy against the school. They barely managed to get a good look at it, before they were sucked into the ball.

They woke up to some unfamiliar surroundings. They were in an alley with brick walls. It was strange.

Kensuke was the first to stand up. _"Hey, this doesn't look like Tokyo-3, you know? Even the air looks different."_

Shinji stood up and took a deep breath. Unlike Tokyo-3 and its 'always vigilant' ambience, this place looked a lot more relaxed. It was short-lived, though. An oppressive feeling came with four hooded figures. One of them looked at them, and took a long knife from his belt. _"Sons of the Forefathers… die…"_ He ran forward.

The teens looked backwards. They had no escape, and Death came for them running… or so they thought. A high pitched shriek sounded, and one of the hooded figures fell, a smoking hole in his chest. The other figures stopped and stood back to back.

_"How low have you fallen, servants of the Demon? Attacking children now? Are we too much for you?"_ a soft voice asked. There was a man, alone in the alley entrance with a strange looking rifle in his hand. He was neither too tall nor too muscular, making him able to blend in a crown and pass unnoticed.

The hooded figures laughed. _"You are a fool. Coming alone? We are the servants of the Dark One, and he gave us wonderful powers!"_

The knives fell from their hands, now replaced by sharp-looking black talons. _"Now die!"_ they shouted.

The lone man chuckled. _"Alone? A Descendant is never alone."_ He drew a sword from his greatcoat. _"Now come! Let me teach you a lesson of death, pathetic darklings!"_

Talon met sword, and a hand fell to the floor. Blood dripped from the cut wrist of the demon servant. Cries of pain were heard. The sword had crimson blood staining the blade.

The man smiled. _"One hand… I could cut you apart, piece by piece, but I'm in no mood for playing."_ He dashed forward, catching one of his foes off-guard and beheading him mercilessly. The handless one charged after him, only to meet the fist of his enemy and a sword in the gut. The man pulled the sword up, and the blade cut though bone and flesh, bisecting the impaled servant.

One was still remaining. Seeing no chance to live, he charged the teens, hoping to take them out before his death. Suddenly, another Descendant appeared before him, slamming hard with the butt of his rifle. The Servant stepped backwards, stunned.

The last thing he heard was the hum of a laser bayonet pointed at his heart.

The soldiers looked to the four terrified teens. Shinji saw death from close, but somehow, being inside EVA-01 hid a bit of the truth. The first man walked forwards, with a worried look. He could be described as handsome, if not for the scar across his face. While it wasn't enough to make him disfigured, it spoiled what could be described as a flawless face. _"Are you harmed?"_ he asked.

Despite his soft and low voice, they could feel the power behind his words. Shinji was the first to break from the shock of battle. _"No, I don't think so. Thanks for your help, Mr…?"_

_"Kain Morgan, pleased to meet you,"_ the man answered. He felt something was out of place there._ "What happened?"_

Mayumi shook her head. _"We don't know. The last thing we remember was the Angel alarm, and then a black ball, and we were sucked inside."_

The man lifted a hand._ "Whoa, 'Angel?' What's that?"_ _Kain was surprised, to say the least. 'Something is really out of place,'_ he thought.

Kensuke lifted an eyebrow behind his glasses. _"Wait, you don't know the Angels? Big thinks that are always hitting Tokyo-3? Which century are you from?"_

The man tilted slightly his head to the side. _"23rd century, why… oh,"_ he said, after seeing their eyes widening to the point they could jump out of their skulls. _"… you must have been victim of a space/time anomaly… I never heard from Angels, and I studied quite a bit of history."_

The group from Tokyo-3 looked lost. Here they were, far away from home. The only thing that could be worse than this was to be stuck in a big blue ball, or running out of ink. They did not know why they were thinking this too.

Morgan was slightly surprised at the story. He heard of anomaly situations, but he never expected them to happen in his lifetime. _"So…"_ he finally asked, _"may I know your names?"_

The teens nodded. The brown haired boy, clad in black pants and a white shirt, was the first to answer. _"Hi, I'm Shinji."_ Then, one of the girls, with brown hair with a shade of red presented herself as Mana Kirishima. Kensuke, partially recovered from the shock, and with his 'military fan sense' coming up, greeted Morgan enthusiastically. The girl with round glasses and black, long hair was the last one, presenting herself as Mayumi in a numb voice.

Morgan looked at her kindly. _'Poor girl,'_ he thought, _'she must be scared to death.'_

Taking a deep breath, he thought for some moments on what to do next. They probably didn't have anywhere to go. _"… hmm… I suppose you need a place to stay, yes? Come with us, at least you won't have problems with this kind of scum,"_ he said, kicking the corpse of the closest Servant, _"and we can get a place to talk about this more comfortably."_

The four friends nodded._ "We… would appreciate that. I think we had enough for today in the matter of action,"_ Shinji said, with a hand in the back of his head._ "We don't want to look rude, though…"_

Morgan smiled. _"Don't worry about that. Follow me, and relax. For now, you're safe. No one will harm you."_

They came out of the alley, only to meet am APC and a woman waiting for them. _"I see you had some fun, Morgan,"_ se said, before noticing the teens, _"… and who are they?"_

_"They are the energy spike we detected. I'll explain everything in the base, need to check the library there. Kids, meet Frayja Norseson, a friend of mine. Frayja, meet Shinji, Kensuke, Mana and Mayumi."_

Frayja bowed slightly and greeted the teens. _"Nice to meet you. Well, I guess you are riding with me today,"_ she said, with a mischievous grin on her pretty face.

Kain looked troubled. _"Hey, I think I should drive this time. Not everybody has stomachs like me and Mike,"_ he said, pointing to the other soldier who watched the whole time without speaking.

The woman glared at Morgan. _"Are you saying I don't drive well, Kain Morgan?"_

This time, Mike just –had- to talk. _"Uh-oh. She called you by your full name. You're on your own buddy,"_ he said, before taking a few steps back.

Meanwhile, Kensuke and Shinji were deciding if she could drive even worse than Misato and her blue car. They eventually decided that that was very difficult, if not outright impossible. _"Hey,"_ they said, "we've had worse rides, we're sure we can hold it."

Morgan looked surprised. _"Okay… can't say I never warned you… let's go, then." _Before Shinji went, though, he gave him a nod. _"Thanks for the save,"_he whispered to the boy.

_"Heh, no problem," _the pilot replied._ "Just don't do that often, I think she could smack you silly."_

Morgan grinned._ "You have no idea how right you are..."_

_

* * *

_

Hey everybody, HolyDragoon here. This is my attempt of a fanfiction in English (I'm not a native speaker). Also, it is my first English fic. Now, for some stuff I want to make clear!

1 - As I said before, I'm not a native speaker, so beta readers are welcome;

2 - Although I respect the canon, I'll be shooting it with a shotgun at close range:

2.1 - The angel referred here is not canon;

2.2 - Mayumi and Mana shouldn't be here at this point of the story, I think;

2.3 - The story starts after the episode with the _Over the Rainbow_, but before Asuka's debut battle in Tokyo-3.

2.5 - Shinji has a spine, although it needs to be grown further!

2.6 - Shinji has a spine, although it needs to be grown further! (Yes, I know it was in the list already.);

2.7 - There is no 2.4;

2.8 - No flames, but constructive criticism is welcome;

2.9 - NGE characters may appear very OOC. I kinda tend to drift to my idea of how they behave like, and I may run over canon in the process (shot at, run over... it must be very resilient...);

2.10 - I think there was something more, but I forgot what it was.

_Arrivederci!_


	2. How did we end here? Part 2

**Disclaimer: The one I used in the last Chapter still applies.  
**

**Here's another chapter, with more shots at canon. Yay me.**

* * *

-We're still in the past folks…-

The APC screeched to a halt in from of a fairly normal building, with brick walls and wide windows, with some cats staring at the outside.

Of course, none of the four teens noticed that. The moment the vehicle driven by Frayja stopped, they jumped out, got on their knees, and puked on the nearest gutter with frightening synchrony.

_"Can't drive worse then Misato, eh?"_ Kensuke whispered to Shinji, cleaning his mouth with the back of his hand.

_"Yeah, looks like we were very wrong,"_ answered the pilot, before his stomach decided to give him another round of content spilling.

The girls just agreed with their heads. Of course, seeing someone else's vomit on the ground can trigger more vomits, so the teens only stopped when there was nothing else to bring outside. Morgan just stared at them. _'Poor lads,'_ he thought, before looking at Frayja, with the "I know this would happen" look.

She just waved a hand before answering. _"Just don't say anything, please."_ Morgan just made the gesture of zipping his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Mike came close of the very sick quartet. _"Hey, are you all…stupid question, silly me. Are you done? Don't faint now, ok?"_

The four friends nodded. _"I've had worse days,_" Shinji said, remembering his battle against the Third Angel. The others just mumbled something before getting back on their feet.

_"So… this is the HQ?"_ Kensuke asked. Seeing Morgan nodding affirmatively, the military otaku shook his head. _"It doesn't look very big, at least for someone who uses an APC…"_

Kain chuckled. _"This is the top level, Kensuke. Frayja, could you park the APC? I guess our guests would rather go to the main base in the elevator."_ Frayja glared at Kain, before sighing in defeat_. "Okay, okay. But you are driving next time they come with us. I want to see their reaction after travelling in a vehicle with YOU as the driver. Besides, I'll have my revenge on you… later," _she said, looking at Kain with a mischievous grin. The man winced.

The teens relaxed at the sight of the departing APC. Mike opened the door of the house.

When they got in, all they saw was a fairly normal house, with some couches, a table with some chairs, and a flatscreen TV in the corner of the room. _'Nothing out of the ordinary,' _Shinji thought, fairly unimpressed at the sight. Morgan seemed to ignore the surroundings as he opened the door to the basement.

The jaws of the friends from Tokyo-3 just fell in the floor at the sight of the supposed basement. What they expected to be a dark and wet place turned out to be a well illuminated, guarded entrance point.

The leader of the squad guarding the entrance shook hands with Morgan. _"It's good to see you again mate! How are things with Frayja?"_

Kain scratched the back of his head. _"Eh, I guess I learned just moments ago NOT to mention her driving skills… or lack of them. If not for that, all is perfect. It's nice to see you too again, Eddie."_

Eddie laughed. _"Ha! That's the Frayja I know."_ Only now he seemed to notice the four friends._ "Oh… I heard from you in the radio chat. Nice to meet you, I'm Eddie. Welcome to the Legacy." _

The teens just looked at the soldier. _"The what?" _Mana asked. Eddie looked at Morgan, who scratched the back of his head again._ "I was going to tell them… after we got in. Anyway, the Legacy is the HQ. We just gave it this name because… I'll explain later."_

Eddie sighed. _"Always the same Kain… If I didn't know what you did in the War, I'd call you a moron. Come on, get those kids in, they need a rest."_

As the elevator descended, Shinji gasped in shock at the first sight of the base. _"Geofront!"_

Morgan merely looked out the glassed walls. _"So, stuff like this exists in your universe too… we call it the Legacy of the Gods. This was the place made in the Days of Rebirth to house our base. This is… my home."_

The rest of the trip was made in complete silence. The Children were wordless. _'It is an impressive sight, after all,'_ Kain thought. It was a mystery, even to him, how could the trees and the grass grow in that place. The mere presence of sunlight there was a mystery. It was, indeed, something _divine_.

The silence remained until the end of the dinner prepared for them. The food was good, although a bit strange for the newcomers. Fish with mushrooms and roasted potatoes. Of course, after tasting it they realized that it was, in fact, quite good.

Looking around, they studied the dining hall, a large room with long, wooden tables and benches. It was an ancient room, full of history, and they silently became aware of the reverence the inhabitants had for the room. It had seen a thousand years of history, maybe even more, and yet it stood as new. The walls were covered with big cloths, each of them with the emblem of the Descendants embroidered in it. Yggdrasil, the tree of the world, symbol of the thing they have sworn to protect.

After having dinner, Morgan took them to a large office, with some couches and a desk with a chair. The walls were covered with bookshelves and the occasional picture, some with Morgan and his friends, others with beautiful landscapes.

The Descendant took a deep breath. Frayja stood at his side, and Mike sat with the children. He knew what was coming next, but he stood there nonetheless; ready to help with possible questions.

_"So…"_ Kain started_… "It is time to explain who we are…"_ And so he explained everything, since Ragnarok and the Days of Rebirth, the finding of the last surviving god by Arthur, Galahad, Lancelot and Saint George, the tale of the Prime Demon, who also survived from the last battle between the gods, just because he was away, sleeping. He told the Children everything, including the events from 3 years ago, where he found Frayja and the First War began. He told them of the offensives of the Darkness, the titanic effort of the Descendants, to protect the people, since the Tragedy of Paris to the Retribution.

They had prepared everything for the coming tide of Darkness, and in that hour they showed their banners to the world. They won, after many battles and tears for almost 2 years. The world saw their resolve, and supported them.

_"And now, the governments of the worlds support our cause, as they know we won't leave them to fend for themselves. We fought and died as the swords and shields we were meant to be. In the end, their champion was defeated, and we scattered them. They will return in full strength someday… but we are ready for them."_ Morgan sighed as he ended his (rather long) story.

_"Morgan… you forgot to tell them who killed their boss…"_ Mike pointed out, grinning.

_"I don't think that is important Mike. What matters here is that he was slain, and the war ended," _Morgan retorted.

Frayja just looked at him like he had grown a third arm_. "You are hopeless," _she whispered, before turning to the children_. "Our friend Kain here is the wielder of Excalibur, the weapon of Arthur and nicknamed "__**Bane of Darkness**__". He was the one responsible for the end of the First War, and could be the current Supreme Commander if he hadn't declined the promotion."_

Shinji and the others were, for the second time today, wordless._ "Wa-wa-… this is too much," _he said, holding his head. _"Let's see if I got this straight. There was a battle in the past. All gods, save for one, died. That god gave Humanity some gifts, and then they rebuilt Earth. Then, those 4 knights found him, and were told of a demon from before Ragnarok…"_

Mike nodded. _"So far, so good… do carry on."_

Mayumi shook her head. _"I'll keep on going form here… So, they founded the organization you call the Descendants, gathering the people who still has the gifts of the god. This gift is the potential to have certain characteristics above the capabilities of a normal human. Time has past, and you prepared for a coming war. When it broke loose, you showed yourself to the world and kicked the butt of Darkness, with Morgan-san defeating the Big Bad. Is that it?"_

Mike nodded again. _"Yes."_

Mana sighed. _"And I thought our story was weird."_

_"Yeah, about that,"_ Morgan said_, "the black ball and the sucking for another dimension I can take well, it is possible, as long as that ball is a wormhole or something related to a wormhole. But what about this 'Angel' stuff?"_

This was the time where the kids explained everything about the aliens that threatened to blow up Tokyo-3 for some obscure reason.

When they ended, Mike gave out a low whistle. _"Our time to see if we got this straight: You have giant Alien entities, immune to almost all known weaponry, trying to attack a city. Your only chance to retaliate is in the form of a giant robot (humanoid being, corrected Shinji) that can only be piloted by 14-year old kids? That's a weird story… but I believe you. I have a hunch I should believe you."_

Kensuke looked at Mike. _"You believe in us because you have a __**hunch**__?"_

Morgan laughed. _"Well, Mike's hunches are the stuff of legends. I believed in you already, and his hunch just confirmed my opinion."_

Frayja nodded. _"Same here. Looks like this will be your home until we can find a way back."_

Back into the present… -finally-.

Mayumi was now laying face-up in bed, her glasses resting in her hand. _"I don't know Shinji…"_ she whispered. _"Morgan-san seems so kind, and yet he is seen as a great warrior… it is a strange world, the one we're now. Legends walk among the living… I mean, who would believe there are –Werewolves- and –dragons- in this world?"_

Shinji chuckled. _"Yeah, Morgan-san is a strange person… reminds me of Misato, all goofy in one moment, then suddenly going all sharp and military."_ He frowned at the thought of Misato. _'Three weeks have passed, she must be a wreck,'_ the pilot thought, before shaking those thoughts. _"The dragons… Morgan-san really got us with that one. I didn't believe him until I flew in one. They are very polite, too."_ He paused for some moments, a sudden question forming in his mind_. "Hey, Mayumi, why did you decline the offer to fly in a dragon?"_

Mayumi looked embarrassed by the question. _"It's just… I'm afraid of heights."_

Shinji smiled at her. _"It's okay. Everybody is afraid of something."_

She lifted her head and looked at him. _"Then… Shinji, what are you afraid of?"_

The boy opened his mouth, trying to articulate some words. Eventually, he managed to answer. _"EVA"_

The girl sat on the bed, and looked at him in the eyes._ "Why_?" she asked.

A simple question, yet very hard for the poor pilot. _"Every single time I go there, somebody gets hurt. Toji's sister, Rei, the people of Tokyo-3… me. It's like it feeds on the pain it causes… Yes, that's it, I see the EVA as a vessel of pain… and it scares me out of my mind."_

Mayumi frowned at the pilot._ "Are you afraid of EVA… or afraid of pain itself?"_

If the previous question was hard, this one shook him to the very core. _'Is she right? Am I afraid of pain, and thus of EVA by proxy?'_ His doubts threatened to break what was left of his sanity. _"I… I need to sleep. Good night, Mayumi"_

The girl looked at Shinji, sensing his anguish. She got up. _"Thank you, Shinji. Good night to you too." _

As she got back to her room, she started crying._ 'He's so torn apart, he doesn't even know what he fears. I knew there was something wrong with him, but… this is… oh, what happened to you?' _She wiped her tears and got into bed, quickly falling asleep.

Meanwhile, in the Tokyo-3 universe…

In a graveyard in Tokyo-3, some people were gathered around four graves. The Angel had been destroyed, but the price was too high. Nobody knew what happened to the four teens, only that they disappeared without a trace, probably dead.

Rei's emotionless face was showing the faintest evidence of pain, not physical, but mental. _'You were kind to me, and now you are not here any more… is this what people call the pain of losing a friend?'_

Asuka just stared at the grave. _"I didn't like them very much, but I didn't want them to die either… school seems so empty without the Stooges…"_

Toji and Hikari were there, too. _"Shinji, Kensuke… man, this is so unfair!" _the boy said, while comforting the class rep. These weeks have been the hardest for him, with his two best friends gone like that. Hikari felt pity at his pain, and that was the catalyst to make them closer.

Asuka, despite her former opinion of Toji, said nothing. Her observation of the jock showed her he was deeper then she thought, and so her animosity against him softened.

Misato said nothing. She cried the whole time. Her fond memories of Shinji flooded her thoughts every time she let a place open in her mental armour, making her cry instantly. She still did her job as Operations Director of NERV, but those closer to her knew the extent of the changes in her personality. Before, she wanted to obliterate the Angels from the face of the earth. Now, she understood that their defeat would not bring Shinji or her father back.

_"Misato…"_ said Asuka, _"it's starting to rain. Come, let's go home." _The purple haired woman followed her, almost in auto pilot.

Asuka's pain wasn't something that could be seen, but it was there nonetheless. Since the Third disappeared, she became less explosive, like she made peace with herself. She knew she could die at any moment. Living with unresolved issues wasn't the way she wanted to go to the afterlife.

On a certain Geofront, a certain commander was drinking, in his hands a picture of a certain boy.

_"Yui… forgive me. I have failed our son… and only realized it when it was too late to act." _He sent to hell all his scenarios, realizing the error of his ways. He killed his son, by calling him to Tokyo-3. He tried to bring the light of his life back, only to realize he could have another light… had he been a decent father.

Inside Unit-01, a certain mother played chess with a spirit.

_"Yui, how can you be so calm? Your son…"_ the spirit of Unit-01 said, while moving her bishop forwards.

Yui looked at her core companion. _"My son is alive. I know it."_

The other spirit frowned. _"How? How can you be so sure of it?"_

Yui smiled, taking the bishop with a knight. _"I am a mother. No matter where he is, I can feel my son. He __**is**__ alive."_

* * *

**And so we have the end of the Second chapter. Mayumi faced Shinji with his fears. Will she succeed and heal him... or will Shinji break? What about Misato, Asuka and the others?**

**Gendo saw his sins and repents, but he believes it is too late. Yui, in the other hand, knows this is just the beginning. Will Gendo have a son willing to give him a second shot at fatherhood? Will Yui see her son again?**

**Guys... even I have no idea about it.**

**Reviews please, the story from Morgan's world may lift a lot of questions, since it is a world created by me.**

**Boa Viagem.**


	3. The First Hour

**Disclaimer: Still the same.  
**

**Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the third chapter!**

* * *

The training room was empty, save for the 2 lone figures fighting a training battle. Morgan did a backflip, barely evading Frayja's axe kick. Annoyed, she looked at him.

"_Kain, what's wrong? You seem upset_," she asked, while jumping over her partner's low kick.

Morgan grumbled. _"It's… you noticed something unusual in those four?"_

Landing, Frayja used her speed to avoid Morgan's defense and strike him with an open palm strike in the stomach area. _"Unusual?"_ she asked, _"More unusual than coming out of another universe?"_ Morgan grumbled again, recovering his stance and kicking his opponent's torso. She caught his leg and roundhouse kicked him. Right now, she was beyond annoyed.

"_Morgan, you're not concentrating. Spit it out. What's wrong with those four_?" she asked, after sitting on a nearby bench. _"To make you look like that, it must be very serious."_

Morgan sighed. _"Well, their words are true. Residual radiation consistent with an anomalous flux was detected. Still, I feel a light in them. A light I feel within everyone else in this base."_

Frayja's eyes widened. _"They are…? How… wait. Do you believe they are the ones?" _Morgan nodded, before singing softly. It was an old song, and also a prophecy.

"_In the darkest hour before dawn,_

_In the time where all hope is lost,_

_A broken one shall be tested,_

_To regain what he seeks the most._

_Travel to distant lands he will,_

_To face his trials one by one,_

_Failure is death,_

_For the ones from Above_

_Shall bring the End._

_Victory is life,_

_But that is closed_

_To the eyes of the prophet._

_Never alone,_

_Never forgotten,_

_He shall face his ghosts_

_And cry in defiance:_

_NEVER AGAIN!_

_Rise young man, _

_Become legend_

_And the Key Of Renewal._

_The Earth Mother awaits."_

Morgan's partner felt the weight of those words. The prophecy was becoming clear. Distant lands… it all made sense now. _"Kain… is it right to make the fate of a world to lie in the back of one person?"_

Kain looked to the ground. It took some moments for him to answer. _"No, I don't think so. I felt the cracks in his soul. I felt everything he could be… if he found his happiness." _He lifted his head. _"Frayja, my love, keep this a secret. He does not need another burden. While a prophecy isn't certain, I believe he will face his trials anyway."_

Frayja nodded. She got up, and hugged his lover tightly. _"Morgan, he is not alone. His friends are with him… and so do we. If the prophecy is real, then he will succeed. If it isn't… then let's just make sure the light of his soul burns brightly again. He deserves it, I think."_ She laughed. _"Gods, what am I saying? I look silly."_

Kain chuckled. _"No, my dear. You are becoming wiser. It happens. I knew that about him too_." He touched her forehead with his own. _"I had a dream some nights ago. I saw a child, with green eyes and brown hair laughing in a picnic with his parents."_

She laughed. _"Hmm. And by some reason his father had a scar... and his mother had the same eyes as him?"_

"_You know, I'm starting to think you had the same dream."_

"_Yes, I did"_

Morgan laughed. _"That's what I like about you. Strong, but kind. You could have any man you wanted. Why me?"_

She shook her head, before kissing him. _"You know, maybe that's because someone decided to take my job proposal…"_ she kissed him again, before _finishing "… and ended on his knees declaring his love… with everyone listening to him. You have everything I like in a man. Okay, maybe you could be a bit less stubborn sometimes, but I can live with that…"_

And so the pair got out of the room. Love made them overcome the darkness for the war, and everybody in the base was cheering for them. They deserved it.

* * *

-Tokyo-3-

Inside the Geofront, three minds were planning. Israfel met his demise at the hands of NERV, with Rei and Asuka managing to work together… and forging a friendship. Unit-01 was silent. Two souls were thinking inside its core.

"_Yui… how do you plan to do that? You know we can't just __get it from thin air, you know?"_ the spirit of Unit-01 was very confused. Yui Ikari had come with the weirdest plan ever…

All was hanging on the premise of her son coming back… and the promises of a warm, kind entity. It had appeared before them, carrying the scent of flowers and young trees. Carrying life with every tone of her voice.

It was that, and her story, that motioned the two inhabitants of the Evangelion into devising a plan to help the Key. But they needed power.

Power to let the strength flow.

Power to crush SEELE, once and for all.

The power… of the S2 Engine.

Yui curled a strand of her hair with a finger. _"Hmm… we need a pilot to help us. But none of the current Children can feel us. We need the cooperation of the pilot. My plan will involve lots of blood."_

The other spirit stepped backwards. Then, it grinned. _"Yui Ikari… you can be very bloodthirsty sometimes. You plan on ripping it from an Angel?"_

Shinji's mother could only smile. _"Yes. Any other plans?"_ Unit-01 spirit shook her head in a negation. _"Then it is set. If another pilot appears, then we will proceed, else, we will get into some berserking action."_

Gendo was on his office. Of all his scenarios, he discovered one, abandoned a long time ago. Screw SEELE. Hard.

Freeing Rei from her angelic heritage was the first step. Finally, she could live like a normal human. No weird fields, no strange organs in her body.

He thought of how his wife would react. _"Would you forgive me, Yui? Yould you forgive for what I've been in the past?" _He walked out of the office, into the EVA cages.

The purple behemoth stood silent. Gendo looked in its eyes. _"I have damned everything I loved. Would you forgive me, if I asked for Shinji's pardon for being such a shitty father, if he ever returned? Would you forgive me, if I finally made amends for my mistakes and brought SEELE down in the process? Would you forgive me?"_

Unit-01 growled twice. Gendo smiled. The first growl was threatening, but the second was softer. _"Thank you,"_ he said.

In the core, Yui cried with joy and sadness at the same time. _'You saw the light, Gendo. Now follow it. But if you stray from the path… I will crush you.' _

Menacing growl.

'_Still, I believe in you. Go in peace. Make me proud.' _

Kind growl.

Another soul entered the right path. The old men at SEELE didn't know it, but their scenario was changing.

* * *

Kain's World, School

_"AIDA KENSUKE! You mixed the sodium and water again, didn't you?"_

The students in the Chemistry class slowly poked their heads out. The all hid behind the lab counters when the first explosion was heard. Aida Kensuke failed at protocols again.

Shinji looked sheepishly at the class rep. _"Come on Morgana, don't be so hard on him. You know he can't see very well without his glasses…"_

Morgana kept glaring daggers, though. _"Ikari, you should have warned him that wasn't the right element to add. It is your fault as much as his."_

Shinji put a hand behind his head. Morgana was pretty nice most of the time, but nobody dared to make her angry. No wonder she was the class rep. Even the boys feared her uppercut. _"Okay, okay, we'll clean everything, okay. I'm sorry."_

The class rep shook her hand. _"Don't apologize, there was no harm done. Just… get him some new glasses and pay more attention next time."_

The teacher, silent until that moment, managed to let out a booming laugh._ "You know, I should give you a lecture about the security in the lab, but I guess Morgana did it already. You, care to explain why sodium does the in contact with the water?"_

Mana and Mayumi, in the table next to them, giggled. Those two boys were really funny, sometimes.

Shinji nodded. Getting into school here had been easy. Each of the children had some kind of education in spoken and written English, so they understood the teachers quite well, with only a few extra classes to understand the full vocabulary used.

Classes here were lively and interesting. Instead of an old man speaking, here they had many teachers, teaching with a smile and ready to hear the points of view of their students. Philosophy classes were especially good, their teacher always bringing a topic to open up a debate once a week.

The teacher was still looking at him. _"And? I'm still waiting for the answer, you know?"_

Oops. The pilot had forgotten about the answer. _"Well, you see, elements from…"_

And so he went, explaining why that happened…

* * *

**And here we go! **

**Gendo is not the enemy anymore, Yui prepares the path for the prophecy, Shinji... is still Shinji. New pilot? No new pilot? Wait and See.**

**See you all!**

* * *

**And now for the random moment!**

Shinji screamed. Some girl in his class decided to pick an awful music. _'I'd rather try my luck dancing with the Angels!'_

Kensuke sought a gun. _'Anyone that hears [insert the bad you hate the most here] should die,'_ he thought.

Then a miracle happened. Unit-00, 01 and 02 appeared on the horizon and... what the?

Unit-01 had a microphone and a purple and green Fender Stratocaster. Unit-02 carried a replica of Brian May's Red Special, while Unit-00 prepared a giant drum kit.

And then they played "A Cruel Angel's Thesis"

And the entire cast of Team EVA danced. Everybody loved the music. Everybody asked for the encore.

Inside Unit-01, Yui Ikari laughed. The first step for a musical career was successful.

_"Today, Tokyo-3. Tomorrow, the Galaxy! Angels, beware, the EVA Band is coming!"_

_NOTE: The Fender Stratocaster and the Red Special belong to their respective creators/owners. Just to say I have a disclaimer about that.  
_


	4. Sandalphon

**Disclaimer: Still applies. Evangelion belongs to its rightful owners, blah blah, don't sue me, don't shoot me, I know I suck at writing.**

* * *

Gendo Ikari's office was still the same dark, gloomy place. But now, there was a sledgehammer there.

"_What the Hell, Ikari?"_ Kozo Fuyutsuki asked, dumbfounded at the sight of his commander breaking the walls (the fourth one, Ikari said, was the most resilient).

"_Oh, Sensei, I just thought about redecorating the place,"_ the commander said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Kozo noticed that Ikari stopped wearing his gloves, openly showing the burn marks from Unit-00 failed activation. _"Why?"_ he asked.

"_It is quite simple, Sensei. This,"_ he opened his arms, indicating the surroundings, _"is the last link to the life I lived. It is time to break it. The truth has set me free. Besides, I think I can really use a less gloomy space. I'm thinking about some green walls, a mini-bar, some chairs…"_

Kozo lifted an eyebrow. _"And the old men? Besides, I was asking about your gloves."_ Gendo grinned.

"_Screw them. It's time they taste some bitter stuff. About the gloves…__ no more hiding"_ He took off his glasses, dropped them into the ground, and stomped them. _"And no more orange glasses too, I ordered some new ones."_

"_You look strange. Maybe after al this time your lid flipped?"_ Kozo just stared as Gendo let out a booming laugh. _"No, Sensei, as I said, the truth has set me free. Now I walk a path I know she would approve. And the old men will not achieve Instrumentality. I will see to it."_

The elder man nodded. _"Finally, you see the light. By the way, Major Katsuragi just reported. There is an Angel in Mount Asama, still an embryo. A perfect chance, don't you think?"_

Gendo grabbed the hammer once again, before swinging it against the wall. _"Yes. Too perfect"_

_.  
_

_**Mount Asama**_

.

A few hours later, EVA Units 00 and 02 were ready and waiting for the beginning of the operation. Asuka, inside her EVA in D-Type equipment, was, for the lack of a better word, pissed. VERY pissed. Her beloved Unit was fitted with an old diving suit lookalike; and to add insult to injury, her expanded suit made her look like a ball.

"_Rei, you can't imagine how lucky you are for your EVA'__s … lack of compatibility,"_ the auburn haired girl grumbled over the transmitter, _"this isn't funny."_

Misato shook her head, before deciding to tell Asuka about her plans. _"Hey, what about going to the hot springs after we're done here?" _

A cry of joy was heard in the radio, before Asuka's answer came. _"Now that's an idea! Let's get this thing fast, then."_

Misato nodded. _"All set, begin operation!"_

Unit-02 in D-Type equipment was lowered into the volcano, while Unit-00 waited nearby. The blue haired pilot of the prototype unit looked upwards, frowning at the sight of two bombers flying over the volcano.

"_Command, Unit-00 here. There are two aircraft above the operation area. That was not in the briefing."_

The Major replied, in a disgusted tone. _"JSSDF made us accept their… 'help'. If you fail in your mission, they will drop their payload of N2 mines."_

Rei sighed. _"Understood."_

Asuka, on the other hand, wasn't so calm. _"What, those bastards, well, they can go f-"_

"_SILENCE! Let's do what we have to do flawlessly… although I share your feelings, Asuka."_ Misato said, lowering her head. "Lt. Ibuki, status of descent?"

The Bridge bunny reported quickly. _"Depth: T minus 50, no signs of the target. Everything's fine so far."_

The purple haired woman nodded. _"Report any anomalies-"_

"_Blue pattern alert! The Angel hatched!"_ Shigeru shouted quickly, eyes fixed on the screen. _"It's charging at Unit-02!"_

Asuka let out a sigh of frustration. _"Great. Now everything goes FUBA- what the hell? It's hitting the cables! It's avoiding me and hitting the cables!"_

The Angels may have a single objective, but they weren't stupid. The abominations the Lilim made were able fighters, but Sandalphon had the strategy at his side. And so he played with his foe, cutting the coolant pipes before diving again and disappearing from sight.

"_He dived… I can't see him. It's getting too hot in here, too…"_ She kept checking her surroundings the best the moving lava allowed her to, her prog knife in her Unit's hand. The coolant pipes were spilling liquid nitrogen to the lava, creating bubbles in the fluid.

"_Understood. You are at a disadvantage down there. We'll pull you up, that way we can give you some support with Unit-00."_

"_Roger that." _Asuka relaxed a bit as she felt her EVA being lifted by the crane. The heat was unbearable. So this was how a prey felt when she knew some predator was out for her… the fear, the heart pumping out blood so hard that you could feel the flow in the arteries, the constant lookout for an enemy that you never knew when he could show up… it was awful. Kill or be killed… but here, the Angel had the advantage.

Advantage isn't the only variable to conquer victory. And Sandalphon made a mistake. His second pass was in the same vector as the first one. Asuka was ready… and had a trick up her sleeve. She remembered an old class back in Germany, regarding the subject of the effect of temperature changes in rocks.

Pour water in a rock with fissures. Submit it to a series of sudden changes in temperature. Watch the final effect, as the cracks start to widen and the rock suffers the effects of erosion. Sandalphon learned that the hard way, feeling his body cold and brittle.

A hit from a prog knife ended his existence, as it pierced the Angel's core.

_.  
_

_**Somewhere...**_

.

Sandalphon felt himself falling, and then it was over. He wasn't at the volcano anymore. Instead, he was in a beautiful garden, he looked around, feeling something was amiss. He understood why moments later, feeling like he had taken a brick to his face. Instead of his 'normal' form, he had the form of a lilim, with an orange coat and pants.

'_What happened to me?'_ he thought. The Tree of Life gave him knowledge about many things, but this… this wasn't one of them.

"_Welcome back… my grandson,"_ a kind voice said. The now-defunct Angel turned around to see a green haired, beautiful female tending to some flowers, along with… seven other entities with her. Two of them were twins.

"_Sachiel? Israfel? My Brothers…? What are we doing here?"_ Sandalphon asked, only to be met with a hearty laughter from the twins. _"We're home. Welcome to Eden, and meet Grandmother Rheia." _The female nodded, before approaching Sandalphon and hugging him.

"_So many things to hear and to tell, but time is running out... Come little one, let me enlighten you…"_ the Angel gave no resistance as she pulled him to a garden bench. He felt like a newborn, and the touch of Rheia made him… happy. He sought Adam for so long, yet he felt whole here, after his first quest ended in death.

Rheia smiled. _"So, the Angel of Tears met his death at the hands of the sons of Lilith… and was reborn here, in the place of beginnings… and now, you will listen to my tale, for you are one of my grandsons, blood of my blood. Hear this story, and see the truth…"_

_.  
_

_**NERV HQ, Half-wrecked Ikari's cave,**_

.

Gendo Ikari decided to debrief the pilots and Major Katsuragi personally. Rei Ayanami went against direct order and jumped into a volcano to rescue Unit-02, after the crane's cable, damaged by the Angel's attack finally broke, sending the red EVA and its pilot to their doom.

"_You understand that you completely disregarded your safety and jumped into the volcano, despite orders telling you to stand position, don't you, pilot Ayanami?" _he asked, staring coldly at Ayanami, who stood without flinching.

"_Yes sir. My behaviour was reckless, but I evaluated the situation and decided that I should take a chance and rescue Unit-02,"_ the albino pilot stated. Gendo smiled, and the tension in the air disappeared.

"_I should punish you for that, but you managed to save Unit-02 and its pilot. For that, I'll leave this incident go unpunished. Speaking of Unit-02, pilot Sohryu, your strategy was a good one, I must congratulate you for that."_

"_Thank you Commander Ikari,"_ Asuka said. Was it her, or he was more cheerful than usual?

"_Very well, you are dismissed. Take the week off, but be ready for possible emergencies."_

"_Thank you sir," _the three females replied before leaving the office.

The Sub-commander came out of the shadows. _"Rei is changing. Your decision was a sound one, removing her S2 organ and letting her live as a regular human."_

"_Yes,"_ Ikari said, looking at some files in his computer. _"her shackles are finally broken. But what happened today made me notice a big problem. With my son gone, we need a new pilot for Unit-01. It rejected Rei and Asuka, but I believe I found a good candidate. Sensei, please open me a link to Bethany Base, please."_

_

* * *

_

**Bleh, I feel awkward writing about battles we've seen already.**** Anyway, we see Rei developing emotions, Gendo showing his new 'good' self, and the place where dead Angels go. As I said before, it sounds weird to me writing about the battles again. i'm going at this story on a trial-and-error basis, so I can learn from my mistakes... and negative feedbacks. (Thank you to those who left a review).**

**So, now enters the new pilot. I never saw the Rebuild movies, although I'm quite pleased with the short trailers and stuff I've read so far . Looks like a Shinji/Mari relationship could be fun... but that would be very weird here, unless Shinji returned.**

**Anyway... onwards for something that looks like an omake...**

**.  
**

_Breaking the Fourth Wall (or What the Hell, Ikari)_

_.  
_

The Commander of Nerv finally broke that wall, of his office. To his surprise, the other side showed another room, with some familiar faces there. His jaw... well, dropped.

_"Yui...? Shinji...? Unit-01(wtf)? How? And who the hell is that guy?"_

"That guy" looked at Gendo. _"Welcome, ex-bastard. I'm the one who's been writing this story. Welcome to the fourth wall. Sadly, you broke it. Looks like I'll have to find another place for the characters to have some tea. Why don't you join us for a while?"_

Gendo was speechless, so he decided to do the first two things that came up to his mind. Kiss Yui (hello Yui-chan) and drink a cup of tea.


	5. The Mission

**It took a while, but here's another attempt at a fanfiction chapter. Disclaimer still applies, review, constructive criticism is welcome... and I think that's all.**

* * *

Kain entered the meeting room, the High Council already waiting for him. Those meetings were only a mere formality now, with the war over and the enemies of the Descendants scattered.

"_Ah, Major Morgan, glad you could join us,"_ the man in the side of the table farthest from the door greeted, _"please, sit down."_

Morgan bowed slightly, in a sign of respect for the members of the Council, before taking his place. _"Thank you, Commander Hiryu. Are we waiting for someone else?"_

"_No, you were the last one. I suppose you are wondering why have you been called to attend this meeting, right?"_

Kain nodded. _"Yes sir, I do. It isn't usual for a simple Major to be called to attend this kind of meeting, after all."_

Hiryu nodded. He could be best described as resembling a gentle grandfather, with his grey hair and wrinkles that made him appear to be always smiling. Beneath that gentle look, however, was a brilliant tactical mind and one of the best soldiers of his generation. When Kain declined the promotion to Supreme Commander, the name of Lee Hiryu was the logical option.

"_Morgan, '_simple_' isn't a good word to define you,"_ one of the other generals joked. _"But I digress. We called you because the new reports aren't looking good."_

The soldier frowned. _"Now the reason is clear. They are regrouping?"_

Hiryu sighed. _"That's right. Although they don't concentrate in great numbers, our scouts have reported that they're no longer walking around aimlessly. But I assume you suspected this already, with the attack on the newcomers. Speaking of which, how are they?"_

Kain seemed lost in though for a moment, before answering. _"Yes, I was half-expecting that their forces would recover some semblance of organization again. But it was sooner than I thought. There must be something going on... but I still can't quite get what it is. At least, not fully. Which brings me to the children. They are fine, although they were attacked, as I reported. The intriguing part is, they have the same gift as us, although they're complete outsiders._"

Hiryu raised an eyebrow. _"Hmm? They are the same as us? Intriguing, indeed. What are you planning to do with them?"_

"_Nothing. They aren't from this universe, and I see no need to bring them to our problems. I will only make sure their stay here is as comfortable as possible, and act as their guardian for school effects."_

The council nodded in approval. _"Always wise, Major Morgan. I fear the bad news are not over, though. The surveillance report also stated that the enemy may have a base of operations in the outskirts of the city."_ The commanded handed Morgan a file. _"Here is your mission details. Simple and easy. Recon and evaluate the situation. 4-man team. Blow the bastards if you see that's in the possibilities of your team. Can you do it tomorrow?"_

Kain smiled. _"I can do it this night if you want. Anything else, Commander, or can I assemble my team to get ready for the mission?"_

"_Okay, the sooner the better. You may leave, Kain. Thank you for your time."_ Kain nodded, before saluting to the Council and leaving the room.

.

.

Meanwhile, in a nearby mall...

.

.

Aida Kensuke was staring, starry-eyed, to an arcade fighter simulator. _"Awesome! Anyone wants to play a 1-on-1?"_

Mike shrugged. _"I think I'll pass this one, I was never much of a flyboy. I'd rather have my feet on the ground."_

Mana Kirishima, on the other hand, looked at the bespectacled boy. _"You're on,"_ she said, before jumping in the second player seat.

The controls were simple, with the control stick resting in front of the pilot, and all the needed buttons built in the handle. The game, on the other hand, had been built in a way that enabled that perfectly emulated a cockpit, and a screen allowed bystanders to see the duel between the players. Mike, Mayumi and Shinji sit in the comfy chairs in front of the screen, watching the countdown for the battle to begin.

Mana chose a heavily armed plane, armed with a pair of cannons and four missile mounts. Kensuke, in the other hand, had chosen another craft, will less missiles but much nimbler than the one Mana chose.

The countdown ended, and the pilots gave power to the engines, approaching each other at great speeds and without firing a shot. When it seemed they would crash, they spun 90 degrees, their tail fins almost touching each other. They turned again, in an attempt to be the first to have the rival on their sights. Kensuke was the first to turn, rewarding Mana's lack of agility with a fast, one-second burst of bullets. However, he forgot the detail that he was trying to hit a moving target, and the bullets went wide. Mana chuckled.

"_Is that the best you can do? Watch this!" _

She did a hard turn to the left, evading Kensuke's sights and attempting to get a lock on him. She smirked at the sound announcing that the target had been acquired, and depressed the launch button. A virtual plume of flames appeared under the left wing and the missile sped out.

Kensuke cursed as he tried to escape the missile lock, he threw his plane on a high-G turn, but the game code itself limited the turning rate, disabling turns that could make a real pilot faint. His wild turns eventually allowed him to escape his pursuer, but he forgot a small detail.

The brown-haired girl was still following him. She knew how to lead her shots, and her cannons hit their target.

The military otaku looked surprised when the HUD of the craft reported damage in his ship's tail and right wing. Outside, Mike nodded in approval. _"She really has skills at flying, eh?"_

Shinji nodded, as his saw his friend's craft leaving a cloud of smoke behind. He never expected Mana to be at ease with video games, let alone with flight simulators. This was a surprise.

In her cockpit, the brown-haired girl smiled. _"Now for the finale,"_ she whispered, as the sound of the target lock sounded again. This time, the missile flew true, ripping off the tail of Kensuke's ship. The screen went black, before announcing Mana as the winner.

Getting out of his cockpit, Kensuke was at a loss for words. _"You... You... Damn. How did you do that?"_

Mana grinned. _"Oh, I'm a fast learner. And the last time I checked, girls also played video games."_

Mike left his chair, smiling at the girl. _"Way to go Mana, you looked like an ace pilot out there! But now is time to return, I have to report in for my shift. We'll come back another day for a rematch."_

_._

_.  
_

Meanwhile, in Tokyo-3, Gendo was sitting in the usual chair of the newly redecorated office. His brow lifted slightly while reading the report of the battle in Bethany.

"_She... impaled the Angel and activated the EVA self-destruct?"_ He was starting to think this wasn't his best idea. _"I should have suspected something like this, they were too eager to transfer her. At least we have a possible pilot."_

Fuyutsuki looked amused. _"Well, she seemed a nice girl... I guess we'll have to tell her Unit-01 is not to blow up, right?"_

"_Right. Which brings me to the next point. I approved a plan to improve the Evangelion capabilities. Most of out weaponry is useless, and now that I think of it, their most effective weapon, apart from the Positron Rifle, is a knife."_ Gendo handed Kozo a folder.

"_Hmm, this seems interesting,"_ he said, _"but what about the budget? You know the Council will be suspicious of your reasoning... oh. You thought about it already."_

"_Indeed, Sensei,"_ Gendo smirked, hands tented in front of his face. Old habits die hard. _"All the new parts can be produced using the existing equipment. The budget will have to be larger, yes, but that's mostly for modifying the existing resources... and the old men already gave the green light. I still know how to play my game."_

Kozo grinned. _"Agreed. You still are the chess master."_ Gendo gave a bitter laugh.

"_But in this game I cannot have pawns. My game start was a mess, and anything worse than a victory is unacceptable. I intend to win with my remaining pieces in the field._" Fuyutsuki seemed deep in thought. "_You know that will be difficult, but I'm sure Yui would approve of that. And after all this years, I believe you can really do it. Good does not mean dumb."_

Gendo nodded. _"Well, let's change subjects. Are you up for a night of karaoke?"_

The elder sub-commander of NERV nearly fell out of his chair. _"Karaoke? What the hell?"_

"_I found this little bar that had karaoke nights on Thursdays. They've got a lot of good songs from before Second Impact. Maybe Rolling Stones or Scorpions could convince you?_"

Kozo eyed Gendo. _"I see what you are trying to do, and you will be successful. Well then, I'll handle today's paperwork. Do you want me to send the upgrade files to Dr. Akagi?"_

The commander of NERV reclined himself in his chair, humming 'Winds of Change', while grabbing the Bethany report. _"I'd appreciate that, Sensei. Oh, and could you deliver this to Major __Katsuragi, too? It's the details for the arrival of Miss Makinami."_

The old man nodded, and left the once-dark room. Gendo lifted himself from his chair, playing air guitar, and took a soda can from the mini-bar.

_'I will save them,'_ he thought, _'you can bet on that. I failed in the past, but will not fail again.'_

_._

_.  
_

Eden was silent, hearing the song of the goddess. Rheia told Sandalphon the whole story, seen from the outside by someone that still cried for the tragedy of First Impact.

"_Such hatred in their hearts. I felt that I didn't know them any more. They were tricked... and now, the forces that made that happen are moving again. The Betrayer has risen again. This is my story, Angel of the Newborn. This is the truth to the lie you lived without knowing. In the end, the children are the true victims."_ Rheia's face was covered in tears. The ones she loved most, her son and the one she got used to call daughter still had their hearts closed. She couldn't reach them.

Sandalphon was silent, processing all that information. This whole time he though he was doing the right thing, but now he knew the truth. _"Grandmother,"_ he said, _"what can we do? If we do nothing..."_

His words were interrupted by a song. A silhouette appeared in the distance. Everyone tried to make out who he was, but nobody made it.

Rheia got up from the place where she was sitting. _"Humble one, I greet you. What do you want?"_

A deep, sad voice gave her the answer. _"I have watched for long, and sought the way. I'm the forsaken one, and in my solitude I heard your song of sorrow. At last, I know the path I have to walk, despite all the pain I foresee. Rest assured, Sandalphon. The Lilim will not be left to fend for themselves. The sons of Adam are still blind, though. One has his eyes open, but his heart is closed. The worst blind is the one who does not want to see."_

Rheia bowed. _"Humble one, I think you for your assistance. There is someone that might help you and is already with the Lilim. You will know when the time comes."_

The silhouette bowed in return. _"And now is my time to prepare myself. If all goes well, we will meet again. Until then, farewell." _Saying this words, it vanished from Eden. The Angels looked to their grandmother, their eyes carrying an unspoken question.

Rheia sighed. _"You will know the answer later. For now, we must wait. But there's someone else who will need help."_

A new voice was heard, also sad, but as warm as Rheia's. _"I guess I should handle it, then. I stood here for long enough."_ Sandalphon turned, only to see a woman clad in black robes, darker than night. Her hair and wings were pure white, and her smile was the one who remembers the happy times spent with someone who just left the mortal circles. Sandalphon felt the name before she said it.

"_Sister Azrael."_

She nodded, her smile never leaving her face. _"The one and only, the guide and the soother of the ones who die. Now, for a change, I must help the living."_

Rheia took a deep breath. The one who had been at her side for eons was now leaving, if only temporarily. _"You know what to do. Help the lost ones. You cannot aid them directly, at least not yet. There is a time they will need your blade. Keep it close."_

Azrael bowed, before disappearing in a flash of light. She saw a flash of light, and pictures of worlds that existed along with her own. She knew where to go, though, so she stood before the picture she sought.

.

.

A dark room. Someone sleeping. The Angel took a deep breath, before diving in the picture.

A new flash of light, and she was in the room. Her and rested in the forehead of the sleeping Lilim, as she reached for the mind of the one that slept.

When she became aware again of her surroundings, the place had changed. She looked around, and saw mountains around them. It was cold, but not uncomfortable. Someone was looking at her. Azrael looked her in the eyes, and smiled.

"_Hello. I am Azrael, and I have come to help."_

Mayumi Yamagishi was wondering what was going on. She should be all alone in her place. Instead, there was a winged woman. _"Help? I don't understand."_

"_I need to help a certain someone, and you turned out to have the same objective. Do you understand now?"_

Mayumi thought for a moment._ "Someone... Shinji?"_

Azrael nodded._ "On the first try. You are a bright one. Anyway, I need your help, since I can't talk to him yet. Is he as broken as he seems?" _

The girl lowered her gaze. _"Yes. He is nice to everybody, but he lacks the strength to stand up for himself . He avoids his problems and can't fight back if bullied. He is getting a bit better here, but still... It pains me to see him like that."_

"_Hmm. Life is pain," _said the angel, _"but life has joy too. A life that only knows pain isn't life at all." She stood silent for a few moments, and remembered what someone said once:_

"_When I let go of what I am..."_

Mayumi looked Azrael in the eyes, finishing the saying. _"... I become what I might be. Lao Tzu said that once. You believe he can only heal after smiting his ghosts?"_

"_Yes. I saw his life from my little corner. His past is an anchor that keeps him stuck in the bottom of a sea of self-loathing. Break that chain. Only then he can have a hope of survival against the coming storm. I will leave for now, but I'll see you in your dreams."_

The black-haired girl nodded. _"Okay. I will help him as I can."_

Azrael vanished form Mayumi's dreamscape. She said nothing about it, but she knew the girl had her own problems, but she also had a strong heart. By helping the EVA pilot she would learn to tap into that strength of heart and get over her own problems without realizing it. She was putting the stakes very high, but half-measures would not suffice any more. Time was running out.

* * *

**Bleh. It seems I'm having a flat tire in inspiration, or something, I guess I'll center the next chapters in some of the characters. Maybe something will come out. Then again, 90% of everything is crud.**

**See you around. If somebody even reads this anymore.**


	6. Interlude: Shinji

**Disclaimer still applies, Yadda Yadda. You know the drill.**

**This is a shorter chapter, destined to show what goes inside the mind of one of Shinji. Depending on the feedback, I may or may not do more of these scenes for the other characters.  
**

* * *

He looks around, slightly panicked. "Where am I?", he asks.

A cold voice is heard from the darkness that surrounds the boy. "You are... alone."

Shinji's face paled. If the dead ones had a voice, then the voice of this mysterious person was the perfect match. "You are here, so I am not alone."

A chuckle, before a face showed up before him. To his horror, it was his face. But there was something wrong. The skin was torn and fell down the skull like a wig. The eyes were white, devoid of all light and happiness. The pilot exhaled, and ice crystals formed form the steam of the air.

"I am you, Shinji Ikari... no, you don't even deserve a name. Weakling. Worm. These are names more fitting for a pathetic attempt of a human life that's used up like a tool just to feel needed." The Not-Shinji grinned, showing rotten teeth, covered with vermin.

The azure-eyes boy shook his head, taking a step back. "No... that isn't true," he said. A ragged, wet chuckle came out from the Not-Shinji's lips. Some kind of fluid fell from the corners of his mouth.

"It is, and you know that. But you are too weak to even admit it, weakling. Pffffft. Here, nobody hears you. I am you, the part of you that you trie to hide in the shadows of your heart. Running away from your past. Hear my words, and despair, for you shouldn't even exist. You are not fit to survive."

Shinji frowned. "But if I die, you die as well. Why?"

A gurgling sound was heard. "I am you. I hate myself. The only release to this pain is death. Embrace it. Finish this, once and for all. Nobody will notice it. That red-haired bitch will probably dance over your grave."

"Red... Asuka?", the boy asked. "Of all people, why Asuka?"

"Isn't it obvious," the Not-Shinji replied, "you take her abuse everyday, and you serve her like a silent slave. You're her little plaything. She loathes you, she makes fun of you, she hits you and you stand there, like a stray dog that stays with his owner waiting for the piece of food that will never come."

"That isn't true... deep down, she's a good person."

"Do not fool yourself, weakling! She uses you, and throws you away like trash! Do you think she will ever feel something for you? Do you? Are you that blind? Then again, your bastard of a father left you alone, yet you want him to say he likes you, no matter what he did in the past. Pfffft."

The Not-Shinji seemed to hover in the air. His face approached Shinji's, and the Third Child could smell his putrescent breath, mixed with the stench of LCL.

"Read my lips, scum. I! HATE! YOU! You send Mother to death, everything you do hurts others! Toji's sister, Rei, that girl that asked you about your fears! Nobody can truly stay at your side because you are a piece of SHIT! Just go away and die!"

Saying this, the Not-Shinji stood back, before suddenly charging at Shinji.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The EVA pilot sit on his bead, his breathing shallow and his body covered with cold sweats. The nightmares have been getting worse day by day. Sleep didn't give him the rest his body needed.

In these dark moments, he meditated in the truth of the words of his counterpart. If he died, everything would go away. But he couldn't. He tried, but as he stood with the knife, he found his will faltering. Bringing his knees up to his chest, he cried. "Am I that weak?", he asked to himself, when he wasn't too busy sobbing.

His sobs were heard outside his room. Frayja Norseson heard a cry, and came to check out what happened. Morgan left in a mission, and she found her bed too cold an uninviting, at least for now. Knocking softly on the door, the descendant opened the door and poked her head in.

"Shinji? Are you all right?"

The answer was shaky and unsteady, at best. "Yeah. It was just a bad dream" The woman shook her head, before sitting next ot Shinji.

"Bad dreams usually don't make people cry like that. Is there some weight you want to take off your shoulders?"

The child though for some moments, before nodding affirmatively. "I... I feel like I am useless to everybody, like I'm all alone and my friends are just cardboard papers I keep around me to hide the truth." Frayja looked at him for a long moment, before hugging him. Shinji, feeling her embrace, relaxed a bit. He felt warm and comfortable.

"Your friends are real, Shinji. You are not alone. As for your feelings... I cannot give you answers. Those answers are unique, and it's up to you to find them. This may not help a lot, but it is the only thing I can do for you. If it helps you, your answer is sought by many. Some never find it, but most of them do."

The boy smiled. "It's okay, you helped me a lot already." 'I am not alone, he is wrong about that. He can say many things, but most of them are lies. I am not alone.'

The woman got up, her golden hair covering her shoulders and back like a waterfall. "Oh, and Shinji?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Try to smile more. I'm sure you could have a legion of girls running behind you if you smiled a bit more."

Shinji chuckled. "I'll try. Goodnight... and thank you. Sorry for bothering."

"Not a problem," she said, as she left the room. Closing the door, she sighed. She couldn't mend his wounds, but at least she could help. If only he opened himself more...

.

Inside the room, Shinji stared at the ceiling. His inner turmoil has calmed down a bit. He left himself drift to sleep...

And that night, there were no more nightmares for him.

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**And that's it. Review, please?**


	7. Covered By Shadows

**Disclaimer still applies, Yadda yadda.**

**And Here I am, with another chapter! Onward!**

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**Kain's World, Outskirts of Legacy City**

Covered by shadows, four soldiers approached an old warehouse, keeping their surroundings under a watchful eye. Keeping a cautious yet steady pace, they took covert behind a ruined stone wall.

"_So, Kain, like what you see?"_ asked Mike, quickly reviewing the footage of the warehouse taken from his helmet camera.

Kain shrugged, the expression hidden behind his faceplate. _"It is a narrow entrance, but I don't see any lights inside. It could be a trap, but we have no other choice. The little bastards like to dig, and requesting an air strike with Groundshakers would be considered overkill without any data."_

"_Not to mention it would be way too noisy,"_ noted Eddie. _"so air strike is a no-no, at least until we check out what's inside... and the noise begins. Speaking of which, Connors, you brought the Rail Rifle, right? Laser SAW wouldn't be the better choice for a stealth op."_

The fourth man, the one called Connors, swiftly slapped the back of Eddie's helmet. _"You think I'm an idiot? Of course I brought the Rail Rifle... along with some demolition charges. After all, the orders stated that if the opportunity showed up, we could blow something up."_

The squad leader shook his head. _"Connors, you wouldn't be happy if you didn't brought any noisy stuff with you, right?"_

"_You know me, Major. You ask me to blow it up, I ask you how high."_

"_Well, as good as the idea of staying here chatting is good, we still have a mission to accomplish,"_ mused Mike. _"So let's get this done so I can have some sleep. I get grumpy when I don't sleep enough."_

"_Yeah... and I would have to hear you all day long ranting... yeah, better get on with this."_ Kain ended the conversation and moved out of cover, taking position right next to the door. Mike followed him closely, while Eddie took out a lock-pick from one of his belt pockets and tried to open the door's lock. Connors was last, constantly keeping the building under close surveillance, rifle trained and ready to fire at possible targets.

"_Okay, door's open."_ Kain nodded at Eddie and entered the warehouse...

Only to find it empty. The team looked around, dumbstruck.

"_Nothing. Nothing at all. Were we too late?" _Inquired Connors, trying to scratch his head... and forgetting he had a helmet on.

"_No... I have a feeling... and it isn't good."_ Mike raised his rifle, scanning the surroundings. Then, he noticed something strange. The air was shimmering. _"Stealth Cloaks,"_ he whispered as he pulled the trigger.

And then all hell broke loose. The squad dived for cover behind the warehouse's support beams, activating the thermal vision to detect the cloaked foes. Mike's quick thinking got him the first kill of the raid, but they lost the initiative due to the sheer number of enemies, who dropped the camouflage then they were discovered.

"_Of all things we could forget to activate before entering, why the thermal goggles!"_ grumbled Eddie, shredding the chest of the nearby foe with a burst of his rifle.

"_Sir, permission to go loud!"_ shouted Connors, his hand already floating over a package in his backpack.

"_I don't know what you brought there, but if you can pull us out of this one, then be my guest!"_ replied Morgan as he ducked, just before some laser beams flew through the place where his head was a moment ago.

"_Aye aye, sir! Heads down, masks on, I'm throwing some tear gas!"_ The rest of the squad checked their helmet and mask seals, before giving a thumbs up in response. Connors nodded, pulling the pin out of a cylinder-shaped grenade, and threw it to the centre of the enemy formation.

The gas started to spread, playing hell with the demonic soldiers. It seemed they forgot they were still pulling the trigger on their weapons, since they started to move their arms around randomly and giving generous doses of friendly fire to the nearby Servants. By the time the effect of the gas ended, most of the Servants were down, and the ones that remained were quickly cut down with accurate bursts of fire from the Descendants.

Mike kicked dejectedly the head of a nearby corpse. _"Let's see... all bunched together, no surveillance of the outside... is it me, or this was a meeting point for Servant fresh meat? And if it is so, where's their veteran? You can't have a meeting without a veteran to train them."_

"_You're right Mike, that doesn't make sense. The puppet master is still at large." _Eddie looked around, at least until his sight noticed something that was not right. _"Corpses don't float. Gentlemen, I believe we've just found the jackpot."_

.

**Tokyo-3**

**.  
**

Three operatives were currently infiltrating a JSSDF installation warehouse just outside the fortress city, seeking a trio of machines kept in the base.

The T-RIDEN-T Land Cruiser Project was a JSSDF black ops project for a next-generation all-terrain combat unit with VTOL characteristics. Sporting miniature versions of the massive Prototype Positron Cannon used against Ramiel and multi-ordnance missile launchers, this project was the replacement for the UN VTOLs. Although the construction and training costs were higher, the performance of the prototype model outmatched by far the capabilities of the regular aircraft used by the SDF. The arrival of Sachiel and the blatant fiasco that the Jet Alone proved to be provided a massive funding for the Land Cruisers, that was obviously translated in the construction of the first two Advanced Test units TLC-AT1 and -AT2, designated as 'Shinden' and 'Raiden', respectively. The prototype model was then almost totally dismantled for future refitting with the improved equipment used in the AT units.

_"Okay, move along. Plant the packages on targets Alpha and Beta. Leave Null alone, it won't be a problem after we're through with the other two. I'll give you cover in case something goes wrong,"_ whispered the team leader. The other two nodded, and made their way to the units. Their cockpit was placed in the head and could be easily accessed due to a ladder leading to the entrance hatch. Once inside each unit, the operatives opened their satchels.

The 'package', as the team leader described, was composed by two parts: A small pen drive containing a program for the unit's OS, and a small black box that the operative connected to the automatic ejection system.

_"This is 02, package delivered."_

_"03, package delivered."_

The squad leader smirked, keeping a close eye in the surroundings. The shift rotation was almost over, and they had to hurry if they wanted to get out alive. _"Understood. Proceed to the pick-up point, I'll meet you there." _The man quickly got on his feet and made his way to the east, where a rental van was waiting to take them way form that place. The Land Cruiser Project could not be allowed to come to mass-production.

.

**Kain's World, Underground, Servant Warehouse**

.

The four-man team proceeded through the narrow tunnels, trying to map and find something that could give them some information on what the enemy was planning to do. Unfortunately, nothing was showing up. Their thermal goggles kept giving steady shades of blue, meaning there were no cloaked enemies nearby.

Connors was pissed off. _"Damn it, nothing here, they vanished without a trace! What were they, SpecOps?" _

Mike shook his head. _"SpecOps don't train newbies, David, still I find it strange that there's nothing..." _The sound of something metallic falling to the floor cut his thoughts. The steady beeping that he heard next to that changed them into a whole new direction. _"Oh blimey," _he whispered while turning to the source of the bleep. _"Guys... I think I activated a bomb. 2 minutes left."_

Morgan shook his head._ "Oh sod it. You are so going to get on watch duty for the next month... Let's get the out of this place, double time!"_

The team started running as fast as they could. While they had the option to stay and deactivate the bomb, such kind of explosive devices were often home-made, and the space inside was filled with redundant and dummy wires, masking the defuse a process involving some luck and lots of time.

They barely managed to exit the warehouse and hide behind a stone before the whole building was replaced by a massive cloud of flames and smoke. Behind their cover, the four Descendants sighed in relief.

_"Well, that was a close one. Mike, next time, do us a favour and watch your step! I find strange that they resorted to a trap with a bomb, though. They'd rather use traps that make us suffer a slow and agonizing death."_

Morgan nodded._ "You're right Eddie. They don't do this kind of stuff... maybe they were lacking the stuff to do one of their standard traps?"_

_ "Hmm. So, you believe this base was not completed yet. That explains the newbies. And the lack of a trainer. Well, anyway, we shouldn't worry abut it any more. All that remains is a nice big hole on the ground."_

Connors chuckled. _"Right. Anyone wants to grab something to eat on the way home? I'm hungry."_

_ "Connors..." _Mike sighed, _"Why do you have to think with your stomach first? At least you only do that on your free time."_

_ "Aww, come on Mike, you know you want it too..."_

_ "You have no idea how wrong that sounded to me."_

_ "Oh, you have a dirty mind, eh?"_

Mike groaned. _"It's stuff like that that makes me want to punch you in the face. Repeatedly."_

_ "Okay," _Eddie interrupted the moment of randomness, _"you'll have all the time in the world to make out in the base, but right now, we should get out of here."_

Morgan smiled behind his faceplate. Moments like this explained why he liked this particular squad so much. Efficient on the battlefield and friendly enough out of it. Grabbing his rifle, he led the way back to the APC. He had a report to write, but figured he could do it after a shower and a good nap, as he spent the last nights helping in the latest project of the R&D division.

_'Speaking of which,'_ he thought, _'I still have to read Ivan's report. Ugh. I hate paperwork.'_

The next morning, Frayja woke up when the delicious smell of cooking came from the kitchen to her bedroom. Kain had arrived late in the night, and much to his dismay, had a request to deliver his report ASAP. The result was that she slept the whole night alone. She hated that. Having him right next to her made her feel like all her fears were small and weak.

Well, at least he came back safe, although a bit grumpy. She could live with that. The divine smell that came for the kitchen, on the other hand... she couldn't resist checking out about the cook.

She was surprised as she entered the kitchen and saw the azure-eyed boy handling the stove.

_"Hmm, Shinji?" _The boy, startled, turned around, sighing in relief as he saw Frayja standing by the kitchen's door. _"Sorry about that,"_ she apologized. _"You never told us you knew how to cook." _

The boy made a thoughtful face as he finished the pancake. _"I wasn't sure if the food here could be cooked the same way I used to cook on the other side. I decided to check it out today, since Morgan-san arrived early today, and it looks like I can cook the same way I did."_ He smiled as he placed the food in the plate. _"Breakfast's ready!" _

The room was immediately flooded with 3 teenagers and one sleep adult, as Morgan and the other Children quickly answered Shinj's call.

Frayja quickly pecked Morgan's cheek. _"Good morning dear. All done at HQ?"_

The Major nodded as he rubbed his eyes. _"Yeah, report's done, and I'm officially off-duty today and tomorrow. But right now, I'm looking forward to a good breakfast and some sleep."_

Kensuke eyed the pancakes hungrily._ "Well, the breakfast is here already. And knowing Shinji, it **is** good." _

Mayumi assisted silently to the whole conversation, mentally smiling as she saw the Eva pilot blushing with a tone that would make a tomato jealous. "_Well, this will be the first time I taste his cooking. Although I think Kensuke's opinion about food isn't always the best, I think he may be right this time."_

_ "Yeah," _Mana chimed in, _"Kensuke loves MRE's, so his taste must be horrible."_

The bespectacled boy looked at Mana like she had betrayed him. _"Oh, come on!"_ he whined. _"They don't taste that bad."_

_ "Sure, they aren't that bad... if you like to eat stuff that looks like it spent a week in the middle of a desert. Not to mention the louse excuse of seasoning it has." _

Kensuke was now looking at Mana seriously. It was then she realized she spoke too much, and the question from the boy only confirmed her fears.

_ "How do you know that much about it, anyway?"_

The girl tried to make an excuse on the fly. There were things she didn't want them to find out. _"Well, I was raised by the state, and there was this one time where the food shipment came a week late, so we had to eat MRE for the whole week. Suffice to say, it is something I'm not looking forward to eat again."_

The military otaku nodded._ "Yeah, I'd say the same if it happened to me. Well, on to happier stuff. How about we start eating, instead of making small talk?"_

The low rumble was heard in the kitchen. Suddenly, all eyes were fixed on Morgan, who managed to smile sheepishly. _"Uh... I agree?"_

Everybody in the room laughed, as they started to eat. The laughter gave way to awe as they tasted Shinji's cooking.

Mana was the first to snap out of the trance. _"Shinji, where did you learn to cook like this?"_

_ "Well, my uncle loves to cook, and I learned some stuff with him. I'm not as good as him, though," _the boy answered.

_ "Your uncle must be some kind of cooking god, then."_

The pilot smiled. _"Not a god, but I'm sure he is an Iron Chef"_

The other teenagers just stood there, with their mouths half open from the surprise. Fortunately, and much to the happiness of Shinji, who was starting to blush again, Frayja managed to find something to say._"Looks like Shinji learned from the best, then. Ever though of opening a restaurant?"_

The boy calmly ate another piece of his pancake. _"Well, yes. With NERV's monthly payment, I was planning on taking a course and opening a restaurant after all that mess with the Angels was over..." _he lowered his face, before finishing with a sad voice, _"... I guess I won't be able to do that after all."_

Morgan shook his head._ "I don't think so. Come on, even if you don't return home, you can still do that. I know some people that would support you right away if they tasted this. All is not lost."_

Shinji sighed, before lifting his head again, visibly relieved._ "Yeah, you're right, Morgan-sa... ah, sorry. I forgot you asked me not to call you by any honorifics."_

_ "At least you remember that now. Well, this is great, and I'm stuffed."_

Frayja palmed her face. _"You ate eight pancakes? You really have to stop eating that fast! It's not like you're in a rush or something."_

_ "Actually, I am. I am in a rush to get some sleep. See you all later," _he said, as he left his plate on the kitchen sink and left for the bedroom.

The female Descendant shook her head. _"Well, there he goes again... By the way, how's school?"_

_ "It's good," _Mayumi replied, _"classes here are interesting. Our teacher on the other side kept droning about life before Second Impact. Needless to say, it was very boring."_

Frayja smiled. "I went to the same school you are now. They are some of the best persons I've ever met."

_ "Yes. Shinji really likes Professor Hurricane__ class, too." _

_ "Hurricane? He was in my class. A good friend and very dependable. Does he keep that habit of listening to everybody's troubles and try to help them?"_

Mana nodded._ "Yeah, we heard the other kids talking about that. I guess he has a way around people._

_ "Yes he has. He was also kind of famous among the girls at school. Never took advantage of that, though. Well, while remembering happier times is all fine, we'll be late if we don't hurry. I hope you have everything, I'm taking you to school and you don't want me to be on a rush, do you?"_

The three teens nodded negatively in unison. Frayja smirked. _"Good."_

_.  
_

**Tokyo-3**

.

_"I can't believe I'm late again! Commander Ikari will have my head for dinner!"_

_ "Yeah Misato, you wake up with a massive hangover and you still have the nerve to complain."_

_ "And you had to spend ten minutes near that gutter?"_

_ "You know I'm still not used to your driving!"_

Major Misato Katsuragi and Asuka Langley Sohryu were bickering as usual. The only difference from the normal situation was that they were running in the direction of a NERV private jet, to welcome the new pilot.

They finally managed to reach the plane, and much to their credit, they managed to stand straight, even with their legs shaking from the mad sprint they just made._"Eh... Misato... next time... ahh, just forget it... too tired."_

Misato silently thanked some higher entity for being able to avoid the redhead's rant. Any further thoughts were silenced as she watched the plane's door opening.

From inside the plane, a brunette with blue eyes and red-rimmed glasses watched the exhausted welcome committee. Her first step into Japan was a disaster. She tripped and fell over the other two women, ending in the ground over something soft and without her glasses.

_'This is a problem,' _she though, as he tried to grab something that looked red and round. Instead of the coldness of her glasses though, she felt something warm and round. Her mind quickly processed the feelings. _'Soft. Warm. Round. Red. Yup, not my glasses at all. Then, it must be Miss Kat...'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the NERV Major, who audibly tried to clear her throat._ "a-HEM. Miss Makinami, may I know what are you looking for?"_

_ "Uh... my glasses, I can't see a thing about them. Sorry for that." _The brunette replied.

Misato looked around, finding the girl's glasses close to her left hand and giving them to the new pilot. _"Ah, it's okay. Now, could you please..." _she tried to ask, but the girl was faster and quickly stood up, offering a hand to help the Major.

_"Oh, thanks,"_ she said as he grabbed her hand and pulled herself up. Asuka managed to get up as well, cursing in German. _"So... "_ Misato started, _"Asuka, meet Mari Illustrious Makinami, the new pilot of Unit-01. Mari, this is Asuka Langley Sohryu, pilot of the Evangelion Unit-02."_

The two pilots greeted each other with a nod. As the major observed them, she could see a frown in the German's face, while the newcomer had an inscrutable smile. She managed to repress a sigh. _'This is going to be interesting... and not in a good way. I need a beer.' _Gathering her reserves of courage, she cleared her voice and asked, in a cheerful tone:

_ "Well, let's see your new home, Mari? Your stuff is already there."_

_ "Sure," _the brunette nodded, _"I'm curious to meet my room-mate. She couldn't come?"_

_ "We needed at least one pilot on standby, and Rei got the short straw."_ Asuka replied, her tone totally different from her previous frown. Apparently, she decided Mari wasn't that bad, despite the small incident. _"Anyway, let's go, we still have to find something to make dinner. There's no way I'm going to eat Misato's cooking."_

The new pilot nodded, as she followed the other two women to the car. A new home, a new Eva... and more LCL. God's in His Heaven, All's right with the world. Sort of.

* * *

**And here you have! I hope you enjoyed, I managed to find little bits of inspiration to write this. Still, trying to develop the story with all the peak points in my head is a bit hard. I just want to bring the action, but then the work would be too rushed, wouldn't it?**

**See You Soon!**


	8. Of Thoughts and Vagrants

**Disclaimer: The same as usual.**

**Well, another bought against laziness that ends with a victory!** **Also, I will cross over other characters from now on. You have been warned.**

* * *

**Kain's Office**

**.  
**

The Descendant Major rubbed his eyes while he waited for the latest mail to open. The header showed it came from Ivan Sparkson, the head of the R&D division and an ex-squadmate of Kain. Kain smiled, remembering the times where Ivan showed up with yet another prototype gadget that ended up helping them sooner or later. Then again, those gadgets were his passport to the R&D division after the War. Sighing fondly, he saw that the mail was finally open, and started reading its contents.

From: Ivan Sparkson [the_spark_dude;internal]

To: Kain Morgan [specialist_morgan; internal]

Clearance Level: ALPHA

Subject: ACE Project

Attachments:

ace_ftf

acepilots_ftf

Message:

Good afternoon Major. I've included two files regarding the ACE Project, please read them and send me some feedback regarding the equipments and our choice of pilots.

Ivan Sparkson

Kain raised an eyebrow, before opening the first attachment. Why would Ivan attach a file with the pilot's profile? Wasn't it a job for the mechanized division? Something was sounding wrong in this situation.

_'Ivan, what are you up to?' _the major mused. _"No matter, it is time to see your hand on this game," _he sighed before starting to read the file.

Project ACE unit specifications

Common Specifications:

Height:35.32 m

Weight: 95 ton

Superstructure: 95% HD Titanium, 5%Valhallium alloy

Powerplant: VS Engine

Armor: HD Titanium/Ceramic Armor

Energy Shielding: Type III, 150 SAU, 10s from depleted to full charge.

High Flexibility Joints

Hardpoints for expansion packs (Armor Modules, HW Pack)

Unit ACE-Tα – Close Combat Unit

Weapon Systems:

Type A Beam Sword (x2) – Stored in the forearms when deactivated;

Dual Fire Rifle with Bayonet – Stored in the back;

Diamond-edged HD Titanium Daggers (x4) – Stored in the hips;

Prototype Rail Pistol (x2) – Stored in the hip holsters;

"Sarissa" Plasma Lance Prototype – Stored in the back, folded;

Crew: Pilot only

Sensor suite: Type 45/WS

Unit ACE-Tβ – Long Range Support Unit

Weapon Systems:

Type A Beam Sword (x2) – Stored in the forearms when deactivated;

Dual Fire Marksman Rifle Mk. II – Stored in the back;

Diamond-edged HD Titanium Daggers (x2) – Stored in the hips;

Prototype Rail Pistol (x2) – Stored in the hip holsters;

Crew: Pilot only

Sensor suite: Type 46- Marksman/WS

The ACE units are the answer to the threat that the demonic entities designated "Jotunn" pose to the Descendants. Taking advantages of the recent energy technology breakthrough provided be the mysterious exotic materials known as "Valhallium" and "Sleipnium", these units have specifications much higher than previous attempts (see Project: PRAETORIAN).

These units were created with the intent of being used as a combat team, with both units complementing each other range-wise. Simulation battles show that a decent pilot alone would be able to face a small number of "Jotunn" while sustaining acceptable damage. With the combat pair working effectively, we expect the ratio enemies/damage to be much higher.

Sadly, while the process is cheap, refinement of Valhallium is a long process. That fact prevented us from showing results in the field of the new armor plates or the armor modules designed to improve the endurance of the units

Regarding the Energy Shielding, there is not much to say. It also appeared with the VS engine, and loses strength with every blow. That problem is minimized with the powerful shield generation unit that the units possess, providing a quick recharge every time there is an energy drain.

R&D Division. 14/02, SE 3041

Kain rubbed his eyes, processing all the info he just read. He recognized the giants as a threat to the regular Descendant operations, usually requiring nothing short of a massive artillery shelling or a concentrated MBT attack. The use of the ACE units would save precious lives and hopefully make the first steps to the creation of smaller units for civilian uses.

_"Valhallium,"_ he whispered. Discovered in the end of the war, that elusive material soon provided the scientific community many headaches. Not only it was extremely resilient for its density, it could, when combined with Sleipnium, fueled with some hydrogen and submitted to certain conditions, create a stable cold fusion reaction. It truly was a metal of the gods.

So far it had been as blessing, but was there a price to pay later?

Shaking his head, Morgan snapped out of such thoughts. He was needed in the present, not in the future. Opening the second file and starting to read its contents, he raised an eyebrow.

_"What the... this..." _he growled, grabbing a nearby phone and punching in the number of the R&D line. _'Ivan, please tell me you are not using children for this project...'_

_.  
_

**At the city's doors...**

.

_"There you go sir, welcome to our city,"_ the policeman returned the map to the newcomer that just asked him for the central square, who nodded with a smile. Placing the map in one of the pockets of his long coat, the man, somewhere around 30 years old, would pass as handsome, yet easily missable in the middle of a crowd if it weren't for his deep brown eyes and for the strand of his hair that seemed like it never heard the meaning of the word "gravity". Though he thought about cutting if a few times, he liked that small quirk of his hair too much to actually do it.

Still, there was a reason for him, a person that avoided civilization unless it was strictly needed, to be here. Walking down the streets, he quickly sought the main square, hoping to find there a young friend.

Young, at least for his standards. The truth is, it was no wonder his eyes were so deep, having seen at least a hundred years coming and passing, and the wars of men and demon. He fought from times to time, returning to the wilderness when peace came. People knew him just as the "Vagrant", the guy that never spoke much and could stop an entire gang on their tracks just by glaring at them.

There was no doubt he was one of the most powerful men that walked the earth. There was no doubt that the mark on his back was placed there because he was the most indicated to guard whatever secret it held.

And Price knew that, as he saw the coat and his owner approaching him. He walked towards him, greeting him with a handshake. _"Hello, Ashley. Good to see you in the civilization once again, old friend."_

Ashley smiled at the soldier._ "It happens sometimes, you know. It's good to see you again, Eddie. You look older."_

_ "Ha ha, very funny. Not everybody is blessed... or cursed with eternal youth, you know? Anyway, we shouldn't take all day with friendly banter, as pleasant as it might sound," _Eddie replied, taking his cell phone out of the pocked and making a quick call. _"Oi, Mike, got Riot here. Will be heading for the Legacy soon. Get Kain, we have a lot of stuff to talk about. See ya soon."_

_ "So, I see you already gathered a little team, yes?" _the Vagrant asked after Eddie finished the call._ "Same guys from three years ago?"_

Eddie nodded._ "Apart from Ivan, which joined the R&D, the old group is still together. He still comes to visit and remember old times once in a while, but he's pretty much full time on gadget-making." _

_ "I see,"_ the former VKP answered, shifting his coat slightly. He could feel the Rood Inverse aching on his back. _"Something's coming, Eddie, I feel it." _

_ "And I see it. To your left, a hundred meters or so. Do you have any gear with you?" _the descendant replied, trying to be discreet and not letting the suspect detect him.

_"I don't need anything to deal with him. Just tell me if you don't mind me being a little... loud."_

Eddie did not answer immediately, his blood freezing in his veins as his foe took a small container bathed in light._ "Crap. Mate, I don't care how loud you are, the bastard has a miniature Accelerator Bomb. If we don't act fast this square is about to become a crater."_

_ "Roger that. Ecksus-priam-nexus-siam. Source of light, bringer of justice, crush those who crave the Dark for their own means." _Ashley extended a hand towards the enemy. _"RADIAL SURGE!"_

As he chanted the spell, a cloud of light seemed to appear around the bomber, being quickly joined be wisps of light that formed a magic circle. The circle seemed to hold for a moment, before expanding and bathing the servant with purging light. When the spell was done, only a smoking corpse remained.

_"Wow,"_ Eddie whistled, _"that killed him really well. I thought you could only do that stuff like healing?"_

Ashley shook his head. _"Time taught my many things. I just don't find the need to use such... aggressive spells. I'd rather trust on my blade."_

_ "I understand that all too well, mate. Let's wait for awhile until the patrol arrives here to clean that mess. Still this worries me. Hod did that guy get so deep into the city without anyone noticing?"_

Riot shrugged. _"Maybe no one was expecting them to be this bold? Their strategies usually revolved around sending the mindless rabble in one wave and trying to bury the enemy with dead bodies."_

_ "Again with the 'live burials thing'?"_

_ "What can I say, it was the high point of one of my travels. That and beating corrupted elementals in a city covered with zombies and god-knows-what. And now, we have some more dark cultists. Really, they don't understand the pit they're getting into."_

_ "Huh. You seem to know a lot about the Dark."_ remarked Eddie. _"You left that impression three years ago, too. Will you tell us that story soon?"_

_ "... yeah. Just wait until everybody is together. What I can tell you right now is that the Dark I know is not the same as this one, although the feeling is very similar."_

_.  
_

**NERV Geofront, Tokyo-3**

.

_"Borderline cleared. Unit-01 is now active."_ announced Maya, much to the relief of everybody in the room. Given Unit-00... personality and 01 status as the prototype, there was no idea about the reaction of the purple behemoth when a new pilot tried to synchronize with it.

Inside the plug, Mari Illustrious Makinami idly tapped the butterfly controls. This Evangelion was way different from 05. There was no metallic noise, no strange whispers. Just complete silence, which only made things eerier, since she could synchronize with the Evangelion. There should be the pressure of another mind there.

_"Mari, any problems there?"_ asked Misato, noticing the worried face of the young pilot.

_"No, nothing. It just feels... different."_

_"Oh, figures, since 05 wasn't complete. Well, the test will take some time, so if you need us, just open a channel." _the major replied, before closing the channel. _"Maya? I'll be at my office handling some of that damned paperwork. If something happens, call me right away, all right?"_

_"Yes ma'am,"_ the bridge bunny replied, briefly taking her eyes off the synchronization charts. _"Don't worry about a thing."_

Misato nodded._ "Thanks,"_ she said as she left the room.

Inside the entry plug, Mari muttered some lines she memorized from a children's book. Bethany Base equipment was buggy at best in the beginning, so all her sync tests took longer than expected, she had to find a way to spend that time, and since the plug was to cramped to swim around, she decided to remember a few things that could be used to create stories.

_'And right now, our heroine landed right on top of a high school student. Kind of cute really, but he was very embarrassed from that situation. It didn't help her face was way too close from his, too.'_ she raised an eyebrow, thinking about how the story would progress. _'She picked up a cell phone and called to her contractor. She really didn't like to provide reports every time, but adults were adults, and they needed children to do their dirty jobs and behave like adults instead of seizing their feeling youth.'_

_ 'Quite an interesting story you have on your mind. Ever thought about writing it?'_

The teenage girl looked around, startled._ "Who's there?" _she asked, before coming to an even creepier conclusion. There wasn't anyone on the plug, and the comm channel was closed meaning.

It was the Eva.

She moved to activate the comm channel and notify the bridge crew, but her hand stopped midway, when she heard the voice again.

_'Please, don't. I'm not going to harm you, and the reading should still be inside normal values. I just to want to talk for a bit with with my new pilot, that's all.'_

Mari blinked. _'Ooookay... so, where should we start? My name is Mari Illustrious Makinami, and I came from Bethany base to replace the missing pi-'_ she stopped suddenly as she felt the wave of sadness coming form the plug. _'You miss him, don't you?' _she inquired.

_'Yes. He was quite interesting. First time I met him, he was scared beyond all reason, but he carried on.' _the feeling in the plug reminded Mari about someone who recalled fond memories form the past. In her mind, she could see someone recovering from a fall, slowly approaching a giant rifle and aiming it at a giant octahedron.

_ 'Ramiel,'_ she thought. _'this was operation Yashima, right? Where you and your pilot poked a hole into the angel with that positron rifle?' _

The Eva seemed to transmit the feeling of a nod. It was quite strange to transmit motions through a mental link._ 'Yes. He almost got boiled alive in the first encounter, though. I must admit I feared for him.'_

_ 'Hmmm... so, how did he look like? That memory did not show very well his face, apart from that short hair... he looked a bit on the skinny side, too.'_

A new memory flooded her mind._ 'Mmmm, give him a few years,' _she giggled. Strangely enough, the Eva seemed to approve._ ' You think the same?'_

_'Not in the same way as you,'_ the mind of the Evangelion replied.

_'And how exactly do you know that?' _the pilot asked.

_'The same way we are communicating now, maybe?'_

_ 'Got me on that one.' _she admitted._ 'By the way, you never told my your name.'_

The mind chuckled. Instead of being merely heard, this one was also felt by Mari. It was a strangely comfortable feeling, like a massage after a particularly hard day._ 'Call me... Gaia.'_

For the next few hours Mari and Gaia talked about many things, mostly involving Mari describing sights of feelings about places where she has been before. It was easy to figure out why Gaia would want to hear so badly about that: after all, a giant robot can't exactly go around just for some sightseeing. Somehow, that saddened the young pilot a bit. How would it feel, to be the ghost inside the machine, stuck in one place and unable to... be somewhat free.

When the sync test was over, Mari had a lot of stuff on her head to think about. She'd rather fight that damn snake angel again, than to think on the nature of artificial sentience and the matters of freedom. Shaking her head, she managed to temporarily shake those thoughts away. The day was still young, and she planned to do some exploring... and shopping. Dear God, shopping! Months have passed since she last stepped inside a shop!

.

**Morgan's Office**

.

_"... I understand. Still, I hope you mark me an interview with them. Good to hear you didn't like this idea too, I was fearing R&D loosened a few screws in your head."_ he chuckled, as he scribbled down on a paper some quick questions to the pilots of the prototype units. _"All right, see you tomorrow. No wait, I heard Riot was coming. You wanna get a drink tonight? Awesome. See you later in the usual place."_

Hanging the phone, Morgan let out a sight of relief. Although he didn't like the idea of sending children to a war, the fact of knowing the initiative came from them eased some pressure on his mind. Sure, the problem was still there, but if they really wanted to fight, the least he could do was to provide them with adequate support. Besides, their cadet sheets showed potential. Even if they didn't see actual combat, having them as test pilots would be a good investment for their future.

He was taken out of his thoughts when someone knocked the door. _"Come in,"_ he said, watching as Mike entered. _"So, what's the matter Mike?"_

_"Hey there Kain, just came by to pick you up,"_ his fellow soldier answered _"Riot should be arriving soon. Also, it seems like there were some problem in the central square. We'll talk more about it once we're all together."_

Kain noticed the worried frown on the face of his friend. Nodding, he picked up his coat and exited the office with Mike. If Riot got out of the woods, then business was about to get interesting...

* * *

**And there you go. Nothing more to say, so...**

**See ya!**


	9. AN Discontinued

**Hi.**

**I've felt that I've lost control over the storyline of this story. I've been trying to write another chapter for this, but everything I think of makes things rushed and that does not please me. It was my first story, it deserves better.**

**As of today, this story is discontinued (or at least in hiatus) and given up for adoption. Sorry for letting you down, but I can't give this story the love it deserves. I've made a newbie mistake in planning too big.**

**PM me if you wish to adopt the story.  
**

**HolyDragoon**


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